altitude

American  

[al-ti-tood, -tyood] / ˈæl tɪˌtud, -ˌtyud /

noun

1. the height of anything above a given planetary reference plane, especially above sea level on earth.

   Synonyms:

   elevation

2. extent or distance upward; height.

   Antonyms:

   depth

3. Astronomy. the angular distance of a heavenly body above the horizon.

4. Geometry.

   1. the perpendicular distance from the vertex of a figure to the side opposite the vertex.

   2. the line through the vertex of a figure perpendicular to the base.

5. Usually altitudes. a high place or region.

   mountain altitudes.

6. high or important position, rank, etc.

---

altitude British  

/ ˈæltɪˌtjuːd /

noun

1. the vertical height of an object above some chosen level, esp above sea level; elevation

2. geometry the perpendicular distance from the vertex to the base of a geometrical figure or solid

3. Also called: elevation.  astronomy nautical the angular distance of a celestial body from the horizon measured along the vertical circle passing through the body Compare azimuth

4. surveying the angle of elevation of a point above the horizontal plane of the observer

5. (often plural) a high place or region

---

altitude Scientific  

/ ăl′tĭ-to̅o̅d′ /

1. The height of an object or structure above a reference level, usually above sea level or the Earth's surface.

2. Astronomy The position of a celestial object above an observer's horizon, measured in degrees along a line between the horizon (0°) and the zenith (90°). Unlike declination and celestial latitude —the corresponding points in other celestial coordinate systems—the altitude of star or other celestial object is dependent on an observer's geographic location and changes steadily as the sky passes overhead due to the rotation of the Earth.

3. Astronomy See more at altazimuth coordinate system

4. Mathematics The perpendicular distance from the base of a geometric figure, such as a triangle, to the opposite vertex, side, or surface.

---

Related Words

See height.

Other Word Forms

• altitudinal adjective
• altitudinous adjective

Etymology

Origin of altitude

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin altitūdō; alti-, -tude

Example Sentences

It can do this at a high altitude, beyond even the Earth's atmosphere, which was seen as especially useful in South Korea, because it could be used to intercept and destroy a nuclear warhead.

From BBC

"I have seen Iranian drones and cruise missiles flying at low altitude," says Amir, a Pakistani sailor who is on board an oil tanker in the United Arab Emirates which cannot leave the area.

From BBC

Waiting next on the fixture list is an away match, at altitude, against world champions South Africa.

From BBC

Merops can travel at speeds of more than 180 miles an hour and reach an altitude of up to around 16,000 feet, according to one user.

From The Wall Street Journal

Its battlefield management excels at tracking hundreds of incoming drones across varied distances and altitudes, assigning teams to counter them quickly, and managing deconfliction to avoid friendly fire.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• distance
• elevation
• peak